A day at The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's site at Castle Espie on the shores of Strangford Lough is always a favourite with our little crew. From duck feeding, bird watching and wildflower meadows to adventure playgrounds and a lovely shop and cafe, its a great day out within easy driving distance from Belfast.
WHERE IS CASTLE ESPIE?
Castle Espie is a nature reserve owned and managed by The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust and located near the village of Comber on the northern shore of Strangford Lough in County Down.
It's easily accessible by car and offers a beautiful mixture of woodland walks, views of the lough, history and fun. All the paths are well marked with bird-watching hides along the way providing opportunity for little ones to "have a go" as well as learn more about native birds and wildlife.
There is so much to see and do and the landscape changes with the seasons making it a great option for repeat visits.
THE VISITORS CENTRE AND CAFE
The visitors centre and cafe at Castle Espie are modern and well looked after with large windows looking out across the reserve towards Scrabo Tower. The shop stocks an array of books and clothing including Frugi and the cafe is really well set up for families with good food options. There are also toys inside for damp days and giant sized games such as Connect 4 and Jenga in the courtyard outside.
THE AVERY AND DUCK FEEDING
Feeding the ducks is always great fun. In the avery, ducks roam freely allowing kids to get up close, sometimes giving visitors the chance to help feed the birds.
BIRDWATCHING AT CASTLE ESPIE
Obviously famed for its birdwatching, the main walking route through the reserve at Castle Espie is designed to take you past the birdwatching huts (or hides) which all look out across Strangford Lough.
The hides are dotted along the walking route facing and are hugely geared towards families and small children.
They are all an easy walk from each other and and filled with telescopes and information about birds and plants. Our favourite is always the stone age hut with its beautiful wooden structure and straw roof which includes a replica coracle - a boat used by the ancient tribes that used to live on the shores of Strangford Lough.
The paths undulate through mamaged natural landscapes varying from bogs and ponds to wild flower meadow. We searched some of the plants via the Google Lens and were fascinated at what we found!
ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND
The adventure playground had been updated since our last visit with its centre piece now an enormous 3 story castle for kids to climb up, slide down and scramble on.
Set in woodland and surrounded by mature, native trees such as beech and oak, it was a real hit with our little ones and if you have children who love outdoor play, could easily take up a good few hours of your trip! As well as the castle climbing frame there are also tunnels to crawl through, dens to hide in and build and natural obstacles for children to navigate.
It's a lovely woodland ramble back to the visitors centre - a little more off road than the rest of the reserve but usually fine for prams or buggies.
The final part of the walk takes you via The Hatchery - basically a nursery for duckling and goslings. It is incredibly cute and obviously the kids love being able to see baby birds so up close.
For more information about having a great day out at Castle Espeie including opening times and pricing visit - The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
We think its well worth a visit!
M xx
0 comments